It’s an age-old American civil war that continues to be fought on the asphalt. Mustang vs Camaro, who will win?
-Nick
Tag Archives: Chevrolet
Highlights from the 2014 River Edge Car Show
On Sunday, I attended the River Edge Classic Car Show in River Edge, NJ thanks to a tip from my aunt, who happens to live there. I was expecting this show to be another small neighborhood car show in a small town in Bergen County. To say the very least, I was completely and utterly wrong. Despite the rain all over New Jersey and the threatening, humid air hovering over the city park, the show went on and was a runaway success. Admission was free, food was reasonably priced, and the atmosphere was friendly and full of good vibes. All sorts of cars were welcome, from a gorgeous early 1930s Chevrolet sedan all the way up to a restored 1970 Plymouth AAR Cuda, among many other fantastic cars. There were muscle cars, hot rods, offbeat classics, Mustangs, and even a Lotus Esprit V8. I was incredibly impressed at the variety and the caliber of cars on display out on the street on Sunday afternoon. The weather held up, everyone had a great time, and I even saw a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 that I’d judged in 2007 (more on that car in a future post). A great day was had. Enjoy the photos, everyone!
Continue reading Highlights from the 2014 River Edge Car Show
Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate burnouts.
Hello everyone, and welcome to Independence Day. On this day in 1776, our forefathers signed the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia to mark the birth of our great nation, the United States of America. And on this day in 2014, I would like to feature some of the best burnout pictures we have from the CF Charities Supercar Show last month in Warminster, Pennsylvania–just a stone’s throw from Philadelphia. The burnout may not be distinctly American, but few other automotive gestures are quite as fitting in this great nation as stepping up to the plate and spinning the rear tires into a pulp of rubber, smoke, and mayhem. These great citizens, some of which brought a few foreign cars (this cementing this American smoking institution as a great melting pot), were more than happy to show off their tire-shredding skills. Everything from a slightly crunchy BMW E36 coupe to a hard-boiled Ford F-350 dually packing a 7.3L PowerStroke turbo diesel V8 (with copious amounts of added diesel soot) took part, and much fun was had by all. Enjoy the photos, and happy Fourth of July. Continue reading Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate burnouts.
1958 Chevrolet Impala at the 2014 Greenwich Concours
The Tri-Five Chevrolets of the 1950s are legendary, but I feel like the model produced just one year later is better than its three older brothers. 1958 marked the appearance of the top of the line Impala for the first time, and the name would stand as Chevrolet’s standard-bearer in the full-size market until 1985. The name is still of course used today (despite being dragged through the mud since my pre-teen years) as Chevy’s full size car. In ’58, the lineup got a redesign which brought quad round headlights across the board and marked the appearance of the three taillights per side that would stick to Chevy’s top of the tree models until 1966. Six-cylinder and small-block V8 engines were available as they were for 1957, but the ’58 brought with it the debut of the big-block V8 option. Although it only displaced 348 cubic inches at the time, this top V8 option was available with a set of three two-barrel carburetors and mechanical lifters, which increased output to 315 horsepower–32 more than the fuel-injected 283 that topped the lineup a year earlier.
This one on display at the Greenwich Concours at the end of May was a very straight example, sporting a rear antenna with the correct rearward slant, flashy chrome, and a clean set of knock-off style hubcaps. The Tropic Turquoise paint finish shined brightly against the cloudy but still bright daylight sky, and the white roof set everything off nicely. The ’58 chassis was a one-hit wonder and for 1959, the lineup got revised again, making this car a bit more unique than it would be. It stands to reason that the 1958 Impala and its lesser models of the year are becoming more and more collectible as time goes on–prices are beginning to rival what the 1957 models have been going at lately. I’m a sucker for the ’58 Impala, as it was a classier and more filled-out car than the 55-57 series, but not as over-the-top as the 1959 and 1960 cars. The earliest Impala strikes a great balance between the outlandish style of the late Fifties and the reserved taste of the early part of the decade. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading 1958 Chevrolet Impala at the 2014 Greenwich Concours
Classic American Muscle and Majesty at the Greenwich Concours
These are the American classics and muscle cars that stood out for us at last weekend’s Greenwich Concours d’Elegance.
The rumble of many V8 engines ran thickly through the air as the award ceremony began. First the rare Shelby GT350 R came to life, then the furious Roadrunner fired its 440 six pack, all as they prepared to parade in front of excited show-goers. Muscle cars sure have a mighty amount of presence, you can feel it in your bones.
After the Muscles were flexed, we were treated to some 50’s metal in lively colors. Everything from the cliché pink Cadillac to a turquoise Chevy Impala paraded through the show, and I felt a sudden urge for a burger and a nice big milkshake.
Enjoy the photos of all this classic iron!
Continue reading Classic American Muscle and Majesty at the Greenwich Concours
Classic NYPD Patrol Vehicles at the New York International Auto Show
Although this site tends to focus largely on performance cars, I feel that it’s time to give those who serve and protect a bit of time in the spotlight. At the New York Auto Show last month, the NYC Police Museum was grateful enough to provide a collection of cars, along with some privately-owned police cars, to put on display in the back of the basement room during the week. The quality of the cars gathered for the display was impressive, and all three of the Detroit Three were proudly represented, with examples of New York City’s finest chariots from the 1950s all the way up to 2014. Here are some of my favorites from the display. See the photos after the jump for a bit more information about each car featured. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Classic NYPD Patrol Vehicles at the New York International Auto Show
Corvette, Baja Bug, Mustang, Kit Cobra spotted in Monterey, CA
Towards the end of the day on the Saturday we were in Monterey, I was completely tired out. Running on fumes, Nick went to go shoot a Ferrari Enzo and F50 outside the Monterey Marriott while I went to a nearby Subway to get a few drinks. After recharging and ignoring the shooting pain in my left knee, I hobbled outside to the street corner and started taking pictures. It didn’t take long for a few cars to show up. Hit the pictures for more thoughts on each of these cars. The Baja Bug came first, then I quickly shot the red Mustang while that light was still red. Once the light went green, I snapped the lime-green Cobra kit car crossing the street and the Corvette a moment later. They certainly didn’t draw the crowds the Ferraris on the Marriott entrance were, but these four cars never once looked out of place. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Corvette, Baja Bug, Mustang, Kit Cobra spotted in Monterey, CA
Purple People Eater 1959 Corvette at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2014
Purple has never looked this intimidating before. This 1959 Corvette, in its purple and white paint job and black interior, was a mainstay in the SCCA-B Production racing class during the late Fifties and early Sixties. With mechanical fuel injection and a 283 sitting under the hood, this racer won all but one of the events it was entered in 1959. Nickey Chevrolet, a performance mainstay of the time, fitted the Corvette with heavy-duty racing parts such as a larger fuel tank, safety chains, and a roll bar, along with a smaller windshield. However, the rest of the car is as it was out of the factory, with factory stock heavy-duty suspension and the (by the end of that very season) race-proven Rochester fuel injection. It shined brightly amongst its ‘Vette companions at Amelia Island, with the purple paint job being about as subtle as a smashed grape on a white kitchen floor. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Purple People Eater 1959 Corvette at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, 2014
Chevrolet Nova SS-396 at the Hollywood Car Auction, Amelia Island
At the same auction where the Hudsons were sold, this very clean 1969 Chevrolet Nova SS396 eagerly awaited a new buyer. It looked smart and professionally restored, with a 396ci V8, manual transmission, gorgeous black interior, and a black vinyl roof, topped off with redline tires and Rally wheels. Unfortunately, this Nova didn’t sell at the auction and at this time I am still unaware if the car has changed hands. That said, this is one of the straightest, cleanest late-Sixties Novas I have seen in a very long period of time. Enjoy the photos. Continue reading Chevrolet Nova SS-396 at the Hollywood Car Auction, Amelia Island
1965 Chevrolet Corvette at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2013
American muscle cars were certainly well represented at the Radnor Hunt Concours late last summer, and this 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray coupe was a straight, well-kept example. Despite packing the base 327ci V8, this black-on-red stunner featured a great assortment of options not often seen on mid-Sixties Corvettes, such as a power antenna, power windows, power brakes, and power steering. The 1965 model also featured four-wheel disc brakes, a first on the Corvette as a standard item. Purchased by a wife for her husband as a 65th birthday present, this gorgeous ‘Vette still looked a million bucks on the grass at Radnor. Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading 1965 Chevrolet Corvette at the Radnor Hunt Concours, 2013
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 at Cars and Coffee Amelia Island
The day before the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Ritz Carlton on the island opened up their golf course for anyone with an interesting classic to show up and park among their peers across the fairway. While talking to a few people and enjoying the sun-kissed weather, I found a car bathed in enough sunlight to make the world shine. Enter this eye-catching yellow 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396. This happens to be done up exactly how I’d want it on the outside. The sunflower yellow paint was free of faults, and the whole package (with the Magnum 500 wheels and white-letter tires, along with the black stripe and shined up chrome) looked just as smart now as it probably did back in the days of Richard Nixon, Woodstock, and free love. Of course, this car would be happier leaving tire tracks all over Main Street, USA than ferrying drugged up hippies to and from an enormous rock concert, but I bet it would be fun for anyone in the era. I was glad to see one this nice that morning, and my eyes are still stinging from that yellow. Enjoy the photos.
Continue reading 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS396 at Cars and Coffee Amelia Island
Chevy Nova with bullet holes
I found this drag-prepped Chevy Nova sitting at a shop near where I work. It looked really cool so I snapped a photo of it. It has what seem to be bullet holes in its driver side door, and that just raises so many questions. Apparently this car beat someone so badly that they had nothing left to do but try and shoot it dead.
-Nick
Mind Over Motor 